The Senate Judiciary Committee moved forward with the nomination of Kristen Clarke on Thursday (May 13) after reaching a tie of 11-11. Since the committee vote was a tie, the vote will be sent to the Senate Floor for a final vote on Clarke’s confirmation.
President Joe Biden nominated Clarke to serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights within the US Department of Justice, and if confirmed, she would be the first woman and first Black woman to do so.
Since the committee vote was a tie, the vote will be sent to the Senate Floor for a final vote on Clarke’s confirmation.
The process has been rocky for Clarke, after Republican Senators attempting to disqualify her experience, and claims that her perspective as a social justice lawyer is too controversial to lead the Civil Rights division, which manages policies and procedures of law enforcement agencies.
Black women leaders rallied behind Clarke and called for her nomination in a virtual meeting on Tuesday (May 11).
Senate Republicans tried to use Clarke’s tweets to make her seem too extreme to assume the role. During the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker spoke during the hearing and formally corrected the record to push back against the narrative GOP lawmakers created about her.
Clarke is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Harvard University. She has previously served in the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. and as head of the Civil Rights Bureau for the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
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